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Healthy Eating and Harambee: Curriculum Development for a Culturally-Centered Bio-Medically Oriented Nutrition Education Program to Reach African American Women of Childbearing Age

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Abstract

The purpose was to develop, implement and evaluate a peer-led nutrition curriculum Healthy Eating and Harambee that addresses established objectives of maternal and infant health and to shift the stage for African American women of childbearing age in Genesee County toward healthier dietary patterns using a socio-cultural and biomedical orientation. The PEN-3 model, which frames culture in the context of health promotion interventions, was integrated with the Transtheoretical Model to guide this 13-week pre-test/post-test curriculum. Materials developed included soul food plate visuals, a micronutrient availability worksheet, a fruit stand, and gardening kits. Learning activities included affirmations, stories, case-scenarios, point-of-purchase product recognition, church health teams, and community health fairs. We investigated health-promoting dietary behaviors (consumption of more fruits and vegetables (F&V), serving more F&V to their families, and moderating dietary sodium and fat intakes), and biomedical behaviors (self-monitoring blood pressure and exercising) across five stages of change. Session attendance and program satisfaction were assessed. N = 102 women participated (mean age = 27.5 years). A majority (77%) reported adopting at least one healthy eating behavior (moderating sodium, serving more F&V to their families), 23% adopted at least two such behaviors (reading food labels for sodium; using culinary herbs/spices; serving more F&V to their families), and 45% adopted both dietary (moderating sodium; eating more fruits) and biomedical behaviors. Participants and facilitators favorably evaluated the curriculum and suggested improvements. A multi-conceptual approach coupled with cultural and biomedical tailoring has potential to promote young African American women’s movement to more advanced stages of change and improve self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable intake, dietary sodium moderation, and self-monitoring blood pressure and physical activity.

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Acknowledgments

The Healthy Eating Project was funded by Ruth Mott Community Foundation. We are indebted to Dr. Collins Airhihenbuwa (Pennsylvania State University Department of Biobehavioral Health, College of Health and Human Development) for his guidance related to the application of the PEN-3 theoretical model that was instrumental in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of the Healthy Eating and Harambee nutrition education curriculum. We also thank the grassroots community organizations in the Flint area for their support and participation in this research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, 209 Chenoweth Laboratory, 100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Srimathi Kannan

  2. Genesee County Community Action Resource Department, 605 N. Saginaw Street, Flint, MI, 48503, USA

    Arlene V. Sparks

  3. Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive MSN 5B7, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    J. DeWitt Webster

  4. Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Human Studies and Health Professions, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244-1250, USA

    Ambika Krishnakumar

  5. Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building 10th Floor, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0406, USA

    Julie Lumeng

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  1. Srimathi Kannan
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Correspondence to Srimathi Kannan.

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Kannan, S., Sparks, A.V., Webster, J.D. et al. Healthy Eating and Harambee: Curriculum Development for a Culturally-Centered Bio-Medically Oriented Nutrition Education Program to Reach African American Women of Childbearing Age. Matern Child Health J 14, 535–547 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-009-0507-9

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